Box and method of making the same



OSCEOLA C. THOMPSON, OF ROCKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 WIREBOUNDSPATENTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BOX AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Original application flied July 25, 1918, Serial No. 246,722. Dividedand this application filed February 25, 1922. Serial No. 539,257.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OSGEOLA C. THOMP- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Rockawa in the county of Morris, in the Stateof ew Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boxes andMethods of Making the Same, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to boxes and to a method of manufacturing thesame, and particularly to wire-bound boxes and fastenlng means therefor.

Among other objects, the invention is intended to provide an improvedwire-bound box of general utility as a shipping container and to providesuch a box .with improved fastening means. for connecting adjacent boxparts one with another.

This application is a division of m copending application Serial No.246,772, filed July 25, 1918, which is directed to a machine for use inmaking the box described and claimed herein.

The invention will be best understood by reference to one illustrativeembodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sectional wire-bound box blank embodyingthe invention' Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a box formed from theblank shown in Fig. 1, with the lid or cover partially raised.

Fig. 3 is a pers ective view of a box formed from the b ank shown inFig. 1, after the lid or cover is lowered into closed position, andshowing also the fastening means for holding the lid or cover in closedposition;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged front elevations.

of a portion of the box shown in Fig. 3, illustrating the manner ofcooperation of the fastening means; and t Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are enlargeddetail views of the fastening means.

In the manufacture of section-a1 wirebound boxes, it has been proposedto connect adjacent sections by forming loops or bights on the ends ofthe wires secured to such sections and hooking one loop or bight throughthe other. Heretofore, the male member of the connection was formedsmaller than the opening of the female member in order to readily passtherethrough and consequently the holding power of the connectionbetween the two members was dependent upon the hooking engagement aloneand when the male member became straightened under stressesand strainsthe holding power of the connection ceased. In applicants invention, themembers of the connectingmeans are so formed that the male member willbe held I separate sections of side material land cleats" 2 connectedtogether in foldable relation-' ship by binding wires 3 secured theretoby staples 4, which wires are supplied-at one end with a bight 5 and atthe other end with a bight 6 adapted to interengage in the man-.

ner hereinafter described when the blank is" folded into box form. aboutwhich the blank erably fastened to the inner faces of cleats of theblank sections by means of staples or other fastening means.

The interengageable bights 5 and 6 which may be identica plied on thewire ends in definite relation to the box part edge by bending the wireback upon itself and intertwisting the end of the wire and the main bodyof the wire as shown at 8 in Fig. 6. A suitable machine for performingthis operation is shown in my The end sections 7,

to. The bights 5 and 6, as best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, are so formedthat the opening is slightly longer than the width of the bight(outside. -measurement)' and only slightly wider than the cross sectionof the twisted portion 8 of the wires so that bight 6 on the box side inFig. 2 when properly presented will readily pass through the opening inbight 5 on the lid or cover when the same is lowered to close the box asshown is folded, are prefin size and form are supcopending applicationSerial No. 246,772 above referred in Figs. 4: and 7. After the bight 6has been passed through. the opening in bight 5, as shown in Fig. 4, itmay be given a quarter turn, thus locking bight 6 against displacementas shown in Figs. 5 and 8. To further strengthen the closure of the box,the bight 6 may be drawn taut through the bight 5 and then bent downwardagainst the side of the box as shown at the left in Fig. 3. This hookingoperation may be performed with a nail or any suitable pryingimplement.The bights are preferably so formed and positioned that in hooking thebight 6 through the bight 5 the bend or hook will occur at the twistedportion 8 which is considerably stronger and more resistent to strainsthan a pair of wire strands which have not been so intertwisted.

Among other advantages, applicants invention provides an efficient meansfor quickly and easily connecting and disconnecting adjacent boxsections; it provides an efficient connection without any hookingengagement; and in cases in which a particularly strong connection isrequired it supplies additional holding power to the holding powerexerted by the hooking engagement because, in addition to the holdingpower exerted by the hooked portion 8 of the male member of thefastening means when it is hooked down against the side of the box, themale member is capable of maintaining its engagement with the femalmember after the hook has been straightened out under stremes andstrains to which the box may be subjected. The fact that applicantsfastenin means will close the box without any ben ing or hookingoperation is particularly advantageous in cases in which repeatedopening and closing of the box is necessary because repeated bendingback and forth of the male member of the fastening weakens said memberand, in time, causes it to break. Thus the elimination of a number ofsuch bending operations prolongs the life of the box.

It will be seen that I have produced a sectional wire-bound box havingits binding wires supplied with interengageable fastening means todetachably connect adjacent sections; that said interengageablefastening means on adjacent sections may be identical in size and formand yet are capable of being passed one through another, and that byreason of the form of said fastening means they will be locked againstdisengagement by simply passing one through the other and giving theformer a quarter turn.

The preferred method of manufacture is characterized by assembling theseveral sections of side material and cleats in cooperativc foldablerelationship, applying binding wire thereto and supplying its ends withthe interengageable nights hereinbefore described in proper relation tothe box part edges, folding the box blank about end sections andinterengaging the bights on adjacent sections in the manner described,

Obviously, the invention is not limited {to the specific embodimentherein shown for illustration but may be variously embodied withoutdeparting from the invention and, while I have illustrated a box inwhich only two of the adjacent sections'are connected b theinterengageable fastening means, it wi 1 be understood that any or alladjacent sec tions may be so connected and that the fastening meansshown may be used to advantage in other forms of package and in other wes.

aving described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a plurality of wired box sections and means toconnect the same comprising a bight having an opening longer than thewidth of the bight carried by one of said sections, and a similar bightof approximately the same size and shape carried by another section forinterengagement with said first mentioned bight.

2. In combination, a plurality of wired box sections and means todetachably connect the same comp-rising a bight having an opening longerthan the width of the bight carried by one of said sections, and asimilar bight of approximately the same size and shape carried byanother section for detachable engagement with said. first mentionedbight.

3. In combination, a plurality of wired box sections and means toconnect the same comprising a bight having an opening longer butnarrower than the width of the bight carried by one of said sections,and a similar bight of approximately the same size and shape carried byanother section fo interengagement with said first mentioned bight.

a In combination, a plurality of wired box sections and means to connectthe same comprising a bight having an opening longer but narrower thanthe width at the bight formed on the wire end of one of said sections,and a similar bight of approximately the same size formed on the wireend of another section, whereby one bight may be dpassed through theopenin in the other an when turned a portion 0 a revolution be held inlooking engagement thereby.

5. A wire-bound box having a binding of wire secured thereto and joinedthereabout, each end of said wire being provided with a bight ofapproximately the same size and shape having an openin longer than thewidth of the bight where y one bight may be passed through the other.

6. A wire-bound box having a binding of wire secured thereto and joinedthereabout, each end of said wire being provided with a bight ofapproximately the same size having an opening longer but narrower thanthe width of the bight where'- by one bight may be passed through theopening in the other and when turned a portion of a revolution be heldthereby in locking engagement.

7. The method of connectin wired box sections which is characterize bysupplying the wires of said sections with cooperating bights ofapproximately the same size having an opening longer but narrower thanthe width of the bight; by inserting one bight through another; and bygiving the first mentioned bight approximately a quarter turn.

8. The method ofconnectin wired box sections which is characterize bysupplying the wires of said sections with cooperating bights ofapproximately the same size having an opening longer but narrower thanthe width of the bight; inserting one bight through the other; givingthe first bight approximately a quarter turn; and bending the firstbight back upon itself.

9. The method of connecting wired box sections which is characterized.by supplying the wires of said sections with cooperating bights ofapproximately the same size having an opening ion er but narrower thanthe width of the bi t and having a throat of twisted stran s; insertingone bight through the other; giving the first bight approximately aquarter turn; and bending the throat of the first bight to form abooking engagement with the other bight.

10. The method of forming a sectional. wire-bound box which ischaracterized by assemblin a plurality of sections of box material incooperative foldable relationship; applying binding wire thereto;supplying ends of the binding wire with cooperative bights ofapproximately the same size and having an opening longer but narrowerthan the width of a bight; folding the sections into box form; insertingone bight through the opening of another bight bight through theopeningof another bight; giving the first bight approximately a quar--ter turn to effect a locklng engagement with the other bight; andbending the first bight back upon itself to efiect a hooking engagementwith the other bight.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

OSCEOLA C. THOMSON.

